Rotatable connecting means for lamps



Jan. 24, 1956 B. .1. OSOWSKI 2,732,436

ROTATABLE CONNECTING MEANS FOR LAMPS Filed April 2:5, 195s a/fazar J. 050 ws/r/ INVENTOR.

BY WWW United States Patent "ice 2,732,486 ROTATABLE CONNECTING MEANS non LAMPS Baltazar J. Osowski, Cicero, Ill., assignor of one-half to Frank E. Stacknik, Cicero, 111.

Application April 23, 1953, Serial No. 350,715

1 Claim. (Cl. 24061.12)

This invention relates generally to electric lamps and pertains more particularly to an improved rotatable mounting means therefor.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting means for lamps which permits rotation of the lamp with respect to its mounting base in such a manner as to prevent undue stress or strain being imposed upon the conductor supplying electrical current to the lamp.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting means for lamps incorporating a simple yet effective design which lends itself readily to mass production.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotatable mounting connection for electric lamps which includes a fixed insulated contact and a slidable contact in engagement therewith so that rotation of the lamp assembly with respect to the mounting means may be accomplished without imparting twisting action upon the electrical conductors connected to the contact.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lamp assembly mounted on a suitable support;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 22 of Figure 1 showing details of construction on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 33 of Figure 2 showing further details of construction; and

Figure 4 is a perspective exploded view of the contact and insulating plate assembly.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral indicates generally any suitable support to which the lamp assembly may be secured and reference character 12 indicates generally the light source of the assembly which includes a reflector 14 provided at its open front with a lens 16 immovably carried by the rim assembly 18 which seats in flush engagement with the reflector. A resilient gasket 20 is provided within the rim to cushion the lens 16 and a bracket 22 and co operating screw 24 are provided for maintaining the rim in engagement with the reflector in the manner shown and described in my Patent No. 2,616,029, patented October 28, 1952. Bulb 26 is provided with a pin received within the bayonet slot 28 in the socket 30, the socket including a threaded extension 32 engaged within the nut 34 which is, in turn, received within the internally threaded extension of the lamp supporting neck 36. A nut and lock washer assembly 38 and 40 insure a locking engagement between the socket extension and the nut 34, the socket extension being provided adjacent the upper end with a shoulder 42 which, in cooperation with 2,732,486 Patented Jan. 24, 1956 reflector.

The lamp neck is provided at its free end with a re duced portion 48 presenting the shoulder 50 hearing against a thrust washer 52 which, in turn, bears against the outer surface of the hub 54 of the mounting flange within which the reduced end portion is received. The under surface of the flange portion 56 of the mounting flange is provided with a recess 58 into which the threaded free end of the reduced end portion 48 concentrically projects and this free end portion is provided with a thrust washer 60 and retaining nut 62 cooperating with the aforementioned thrust washer 52 in rotatably securing the lamp carrying neck within the hub while at the same time preventing longitudinal movement of the neck with respect to the hub.

The neck is of generally tubular construction and is provided at its free end with the enlarged recess or chamber 64 through which the electrical conductor 66 passes. An insulating washer 68 abuts against the shoulder presented by the enlarged chamber and serves as a plate against which one end of the coil spring 70 abuts, which spring is disposed concentrically of the aforementioned conductor and which abuts at its outer end insulating thimble 72 which is slidably received within the enlarged chamber and is normally projected therefrom under action of the spring. The conductor 66 extends through the thimble and is suitably secured at its end to a conducting washer 74 presenting a contact in engageable register with the stationary contact 76. This latter contact is insulated from the support and the lamp assembly by virtue of its engagement within a recess in the insulating plate 78, which plate is interposed between the flange 56 and the support 10, the contact 76 being secured to the supply conductor 80. The lamp itself is of the type incorporating a ground contact which is established between the socket extension 32 and the nut 34 to the neck and consequently the mounting base and thence through ground contact 82 to the ground conductor 84, see especially Figure 4.

Due to the particular construction of this lamp assembly, the reflector may be rotated at will about the hub of the mounting flange without imposing any twisting action upon the conductor 66, the frictional engagement between the contacts 74 and 76 being sufl'icient to establish the necessary supply of electric energy to the lamp while at the same time allowing free rotative movement therebetween.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A rotatable mounting for lamps comprising a base assembly adapted to be secured to a support, a lamp supporting neck rotatably carried by said base assembly, a bulb secured to said neck, a stationary contact on said base assembly, a source of current connected to said contact, a conductive washer in contiguous relation to said stationary contact, and electrically connected to said bulb, said base assembly comprising a hub receiving said neck and an insulating plate underlying said hub, said plate carrying said stationary contact, said hub having a recessed portion adjacent said plate and having a chamber communicating therewith, said neck having a reduced portion received within the chamber and extending adjacent said plate, means on the free end of said reduced portion for preventing longitudinal movement of the 5 neck, said neck being tubular and slidably receiving an insulating thimble, said conductive washer being secured to said thimble, a shoulder in said neck, and spring means engaging said thimble and said shoulder and extending therebetween to urge said thimble and said conductive 10 washer into engagement with said stationary contact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kimbark Mar. 1, Wright Jan. 16, Lynch May 12, Grimes July 29, Daon Jan. 10,

Osowski Oct. 28, 

